Pre-manufactured structural building components to be unfolded at building sites to become principal structural members of buildings have been provided previously. For example:
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,624 of 1968, Tom T. Mikulin illustrated and described his structural members which included lazy tong components. His members are expandable from a contracted condition, occupying very little space, to a greatly enlarged condition having a great deal of strength;
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,557,500 of 1971, Messrs. Schmidt and Rial disclosed their foldable structures. They provide structural units, used with similar units, to form structures of different shape and size. Their structural units are readily erected, readily folded, and readily collapsed;
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,353 of 1971, Gordon C. Partridge illustrated and described his collapsible building structures, which are erected easily, and also easily collapsed for movement to another site, or for storage, or for transportation. His structures have at least two latticework units, in a parallel relationship. Each unit has links pivotally connected to be expanded from a collapsed arrangement to an operative formation of a beam or a truss;
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,877 of 1973, Raymond L. Hall disclosed his folding truss, wherein his main beam member in a fully unfolded opened position is arranged in a straight line. In its folded position his folding truss is compacted into an accordion style. In addition to the main beam members he uses a series of support arms. They are pivotally mounted on pins secured to the mid-portions of the main beam members. When the main beam members are aligned, the support members are disposed in a zigzag pattern relative to the axis of the main straight beam;
In U.S. Pat. No. Re 31,565 of 1984, Bryan J. Beaulieu illustrated and described his portable shelter. It has a pair of collapsible frame members at the ends thereof. Each of those collapsible frame members included a braced lazy-tong structure;
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,932 of 1987, Theodore R. Ziegler disclosed his portable shelter assemblies. Their framework is formed by a series of end-interconnected modules, each defining a separate arch portion, extending in different directions. Each module is formed of elongated struts capable of being expanded into arched three dimensional form and collapsed into bundled form; and
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,031 of 1991, Charles Hoberman illustrated and described his radial expansion and retraction truss structures. They provided self-supporting structures that maintain their overall curved geometry, as they expand or collapse in a synchronized manner. In one embodiment, the radial expansion and retraction truss appears as an iris-type retractable structure. Its center retracts toward its perimeter, which remains a nearly constant size.
These examples of pre-manufactured structural building components to be unfolded at building sites are all recognized for their respective merits. However there remains a need for yet another one which is economically manufactured, handled, stored, shipped, and erected in combination with other standard building materials.